Cong, VBA forge alliance for local polls in Maharashtra's Nanded with 'potential for expansion'

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nov 11 (PTI) In a move that signals emergence of a new political equation, the Congress and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), led by Dr B R Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar, on Tuesday announced a tie-up for the upcoming municipal council polls in Maharashtra's Nanded district.

Although the alliance is limited to Nanded at present, it has the "potential to expand significantly into a broader agreement" in the future, Congress MP Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan said while announcing the tie-up.

Elections to 246 municipal councils (nagar parishads) and 42 nagar panchayats in Maharashtra will take place on December 2 and votes will be counted on December 3.

"This new partnership between Congress and VBA is specifically focused on the municipal council elections scheduled to be held next month. This alliance is built on the principle of mutual respect," Chavan said in a press conference in Nanded, where local office-bearers of the VBA were also present.

"Parties with similar ideologies should unite, and this is the guiding policy for both of us. Hence, we have joined forces for the forthcoming local governing body elections in Nanded," he said.

"We have come together to counter casteism that opposition parties are indulging in. We are confident that this alliance will be welcomed by voters as well. This partnership is also intended to be extended to the subsequent municipal corporation and Zilla Parishad elections as well," Chavan, who represents the Nanded Lok Sabha constituency, said.

When asked about the potential inclusion of other members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which includes Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP), Chavan indicated that this is the initial phase of a potentially broader agreement.

"We have come together, and a meeting regarding this alliance with other members of the MVA will take place shortly," he said.

"This is a beginning, and our alliance has the potential to expand significantly in the future. The Congress and the VBA are prepared to contest the elections alongside all other MVA alliance partners. The decision on seat-sharing will be taken unanimously," he said.

In January 2023, Ambedkar and Shiv Sena (UBT) had forged an alliance. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the VBA had joined the seat-sharing talks of the opposition bloc MVA. However, the talks fell through and Ambedkar later decided to fight the elections alone. PTI AW NP